Under Part 4 of The Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003, the authority must have regard to the recommendations of an Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) before it determines a scheme of Allowances.
The IRP generally meets every 6 weeks over a 6 month period every 2 years to review the allowances paid to Elected Members of the Council. The allowances the panel reviews include a basic allowance paid to all Elected Members and Special Responsibility Allowances paid to those holding certain positions, such as the Leader of the Council or Chair of a Committee. The Panel can also review other allowances and policies relating to allowances, such as childcare and dependant carers’ allowance.
The IRP’s role is to make recommendations to the Council on the level of allowances to be paid. To do this, the IRP must assess the ‘value’ of the respective roles within the wider and overall Council political structure, taking account of changes it considers appropriate and relevant, without any preconceived result or directed outcome. When needed, the IRP also considers benchmarking or specialist data. The Council is required to publicise the main recommendations of the IRP to ensure transparency and openness. Following consideration of the Panel’s recommendations, the Council determines its Scheme of Allowances, which then forms part of the Council’s Constitution. Any approved scheme is required to be advertised in accordance with the statutory requirements.
Eligibility to be a member of the Independent Remuneration Panel
A person may only be considered for membership of the Independent Remuneration Panel if they -
- are not an Elected Member or co-opted Member of the Council or any of its committees
- would not be disqualified from being a Councillor of a local authority
- are not a relative or close friend of an Elected Member or employee of the Council
Skills and knowledge
To be a member of the Independent Remuneration Panel, an applicant will need -
- experience of similar work, such as committee or other advisory activities
- to make sound judgements based on the information and analysis available that is fair, independent and objective
- a questioning approach
- experience in assessing and reporting information in a structured and logical way to meet the needs and understanding of the intended audience
- an understanding of how local government works
- a positive commitment to public services
- good analytical, interpersonal and communication skills
Access the application form for an Independent Remuneration Panel member